The cost of lead theft and vandalism

It is well documented that metal theft on railways is rife; costing Network Rail up to £16 million a year, and causing severe disruptions for British rail users. Similarly, the stripping of copper and lead from church roofs has also hit headlines in recent years, and although reducing, this is still a real issue for communities.

Heritage buildings are the most targeted and the most affected by lead theft as it is far more of a struggle to find funding for community buildings and churches. Indeed, replacement roofing cost the Church of England £10million in 2012.

However, opportunistic thieves are now looking to construction sites for more materials. Often leaving themselves open to theft through poor security, building sites have a wealth of materials, and thieves have come to know this.

What can I do to prevent lead theft?

Alongside standard security, site managers are encouraged to make it harder for thieves by moving precious materials off floor level. Any physical security such as barbed wire or anti-vandal paint must have the appropriate signage and must be placed at 2.5 metres or above to avoid legal liability.

However the most simple way to avoid metal theft is to combat this at the root and use a different roofing material altogether.

Dryseal defeats vandals and thieves

Dryseal is accredited with the Secured By Design certificate, a police initiated campaign to highlight the deterrent of thieved through the physical properties of a material. Dryseal holds no value to thieves, and yet is able to replicate the lead rolls synonymous with heritage buildings.

Furthermore, Dryseal itself is incredibly hardy. The durable and fire resistant material has been put to the test.

We tested it’s flammability and it suffered minimal damage.The robust nature of the Dryseal system continues to attract Construction Companies and Housing Bodies all over the UK and Ireland. Dryseal has an exceptional level of resistance to puncture, fracture, fire and chemicals, and impact resistance comes as standard.  For the full details you can view 5 Attempts to Destroy Dryseal on YouTube.

For details or a quotation, call us on 01327 701 907, or email Dryseal@hambleside-danelaw.co.uk or visit www.dryseal.org.